Tandem axle construction



June 17, 1947. ARMNGTON 2,422,460

TANDEM 'AXLE CONSTRUCTION Filed'Aug. 13, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 //v vm ran RA m 0ND Q. A Rn/Ns 701v A T TORNE Y5 Jun'e v17, 1947.

R. Q. ARMINGTON TANDEM AXLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug; 15, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN 701? R4 m /vo Q. ARNINGTON June 17, 1947. R. Q. ARMINGTON TANDEM AXLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 13, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTaR flArnoA/o Q. Ann/Menu ATTORNEY-5 Patented June 17, 1947 I TED STAT E S E NT" OFFICE TAN DEM AJHJE CONSTRUCTION Raymond Q. Armington, Shaker Heights, 011w, assignor to Phe Euclid Road Machinery G02, Euclid, Ohio, at corporation-of Ohio ApplicationAugust 13, 1945; Serial No.610i61 1 2 Claims. I

'This invention relates to improvements in tand'e'm axle constructionasapplied to a tractor device of the type described.

Anobject of the present-invention is to provide atandemmounting of wheel-driving axles of an improved construction adapted for high speed operation. Prior devices of thistype known to me have been-satisfactory for'slow speed operation, but several features of my device contr-ibute'tolong life and satisfactory operation when. the. device is used at higher speeds.

O'neof the objects of't'he present invention is to provide a rocker beam construction for supporting wheel axles on opposite ends of the beam wherein the wheel driving axle means is called upon-to transmit torsional stresses only,.the bear.- ing" and bending lads being carried independently of the axle means.

The present invention provides a rocker beam having a: trunnion mounting on the banjo axle housing with a; full floating axle extending through the trunnion mounting into the rocker beam to drivethe wheels.

Another object: of thepresent invention is to provide spindles rigidly-mountedon opposite ends of the rocker beam for mounting? wheel means, a tullfl'oating axle in each ofthe spindles carrying 'torsion loads only,.the bearing. and'bending' loads being carried independently of this axle.

Qtherobjects of the invention include novelarrangements of bearing and thrust surfaces, a novel: construction of certain of the full floating axles described: together with simplified construction for cheap and eflicient' assembly and maintenance of the various parts as will more clearlyappear from theaccompanying drawings and description, and the essential features thereof will be summarized. in'sthe appended claims.

In the drawings,

1 is a side'elevational" view of a tractor deviceconstru'cted' according to my invention with a trailer wagonv mounted thereon to indicate one use of my invention;

Fig; '2' is? a top plan view of the tractor device of Fig. 1' with the trailer device omitted for clarity;

Fig; 3 is a fragmental: plan view enlarged, taken along: t-he 1ine*3-3' of: Fig. 1;.

Fig". 4 is a sectional; view taken along the line 4-=4"of Fig.1 3; while Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmental sectional views takenalong the similarly numbered lines of Fig. 3; 'The braker operators have been omitted clearness;

' Asbest seen in Figs;- 1 and 2, Irhave: shown my invention. as applied: to a: tractor I0 having. a frame whose .maimmemb'ers include two side frame members ll rigidly connected'iby a cross tube [2 atrthezfront and: rigidlyizconnected' by the banjo axlehousing f3 near the rear end 'of the side 'framezniembers. IZhe tail 1 piece Wis rigidly connected at theirear end of the-framefor a purpose forming no 'part of the present invention. Mounted directly above the axle housing. ['3' is 1nearis"l-:5=:f:orconnecting the hitch carrying the trailer vehicle, but since this hasno' bearing on the present invention; further description will bezomitted here; I=heengine". l'firis-mounted on the tractor'rframe?in aimanner'to overhang the Wheel means: 1 t1. This overhanging weight is counterbalanced by themweight' of the trailer vehicle: l8 which is transmitted'to the tractor through the hitchzme'ansla. Ituresults from this-construction that alarge'portion of the: weight of" the tractor and trailer is concentrated. onthe drive wheels Hi s-owthat my device has' great tractive power. Also, I that a device constructed according to this; disclosure" has good ridingand steering characteristics.

Thepresent invention concerns itself chiefly with; the'c'onstructioni of the" wheel means" and? the mounting and driving of the same. Rigidly mounted ona opposite ends of; the housing l3 are drums- Zil secured byany-suitable means such as thezwelding indicatedaatFi'gfi which connects the diium"witlrthe end plate I'3a; of the housing: 13; Sincethe construction at-each end of" the housii'lg. IE3% is exactlythe same, one only :need be. described.

The rock'erbea-m 2| is of hollow box-like construction having parallel side walls 21 11., a top wall bi a bottom wall 21c, and; semicircular end walls 21542. The 'plate'63- is: a brace between side walls H}. ln the'top wa'llare provided front'and rear openings 22 which are closed by'th'e removable cover plates 23'. .Theseare for access to' the parts as will later. appear. the sidewall 21a, nearest the tractor; is a circularopening Zl'e aroundthe outer edge of which issecured the s'leeve t tf'which is rigidly connected to the side walli2 la' as by welding indicated in'Fig- 5. This sleeve surrounds and is spacedradially outward from the drum 20' previously. mentioned.

Referring now'tdEig. 5, the sleeve-'2 if is mountedi'fo'r oscillation aboutv the drum 20 by"means off-the bearing: collars 24' andl25whoseouter circumferences engage the inner face of sleeve 2lf and'whose innerci reumferenc'esengage the drum 201. Thusthebearlngll'oadoirocker beam 2| is 3 transmitted directly to the drum 20. A rib 26, extending radially inwardly on the inner face of sleeve 2| holds the collars 24 and 25 separated. A shoulder 25a on the collar 25 receives the innermost edge of sleeve 2| so as to limit the inward movement toward the tractor of the collar 2|f as will presently appear. The bending loads are taken by the thrust collars 21 and 28 which are rigidly positioned on the drum 26. The collar 21 is bolted to the studs 29 which in turn are welded, as indicated at 290., to the inner face of drum 20. The collar 27 engages the collar 24 which in turn is held by the rib 26 so as to limit movement of the sleeve 2| away from the housing l3. The collar 28 is seated in a shoulder 26a of the drum 26. This collar 28 bears against the collar 25, and thus movement of the sleeve 2|f inwardly toward the housing I3 is prevented. A dirt seal I 36 is provided to prevent dirt entering between the engaging faces of the collars 25 and 28. Thus the bearing and bending loads of the rocker beam 2| are carried independently of the wheel drive means later described.

Means is provided on each rocker beam 2| for the mounting of wheels one forwardly and one rearwardly of the axis of oscillation of the rocker beam. These wheel mountings are identical and therefore one only will be described. Referring to Figs. 3 and 6, a spindle 3| is rigidly connected to the outer wall of the rocker beam 21 as for instance by the welding shown in Fig. 6. Preferably, the spindle is further supported by the backing plate 32 which is also rigidly connected byweldin to the rocker beam and supports the spindle at a point spaced outwardly from the rocker beam wall. The wheel hub 33 is rotatably mounted on the spindle by means of the bearings 34 so that all of the wheel load is carried directly on spindle 3|. End thrust and bending loads are transmitted directly to the spindle by the means shown in Fig. 6. At the outer end of the spindle the'bearing 34 is held by the shoulder 33a of the hub on the one hand and is held by the lock rings 35 threaded on the outer end of spindle 3|. Thus a movement of the hub outwardly is prevented.

Atits inner endthe bearing 34 rests against the shoulder 33b of the hub and is also held by the thrust collar 36 which engages in the shoulder 3|a of the spindle. This limits inward movement of the hub. 'A dirt seal 37 is engaged between collar 36 and the inner end of hub 33 to prevent the entrance of dirt at this point. The outer end of the hub is closed by the hub cap 38 which is connected by bolts 39 to a driving flange 40 which is connected in the usual manner with the wheel ll by means not shown.

g A brake drum 42 is provided as shown in Fig. 3, and means for operatin the brakes is shown at 43, but these have no connection with the present invention.

Drive means is provided for the wheels connected with the vehicle drive shaft 44, which is shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Through a suitable differential drive 45, the shaft 44 (which is driven by engine l6) drives two floating axle shafts 46 which extend out opposite ends of the housing I3 and into therocker beams 2|. These drives are identical, and,'therefore, one only is shown. The axle 46 has a spline connection at 41 with the differential 45. At'its outer end it carries a double sprocket 48 having the spline connection 49 with shaft'46. This sprocket is held in proper position' by the spacer sleeve which surrounds shaft 46 and bears against thrust collar2|. The outer end of shaft 46 is supported in bearing 5| 4 which is carried by the outer vertical wall of the rocker beam 2 Preferably, also, a novel means is provided forholding this bearing. In the outer wall 2 Id of the rocker beam is provided an opening 52 sufiicient to permit the sprocket 48 to pass in and out of the opening. A cover plate 53 is adapted to close this opening and is secured to the rocker beam by means of bolts or cap screws 54. The bearin 5|, as shown in Fig. 5, may be carried by the cover plate 53. It results from this construction that upon removal of the cover plate 53 access is had to the bearing 5|, the sprocket 48, and the shaft 46 so that any or all of these parts may be removed through the opening 52.

The drive for each of the wheels I! is by way of chain connections from the sprocket 48 on each side of the tractor.' As best seen in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, a drive chain 55a extends forwardly from sprocket 48, and a drive chain 55b extends rearwardly. Each of these chains connects with an identical mechanism, and, therefore, one, only will be described. Referring to Figs. 4 and 6, the chain :551) passes around sprocket 56 which has a spline .connection withthe inner end of axle 51. A spacer sleeve 58 bearing against the shoulder 53a on the axle 51 holds the sprocket 56 in the proper position. The axle 5! then passes through the'spindle 3| and'at its outer, endhas a spline connection with the hub cap 38- Thus each of the drive chains 55a or 55b drives its associated wheel through one of the full floating axles 51. It will be noted that the axle 51 thus carries torsional stresses but carries none of the vehicle weight.

'Each of'the axles 51 is supported by bearings in a novel manner requiring only one axle bearillg and permitting a reasonable amount of misalinement. At its inner end each axle 51 is provided with a bearing 59 carried by the inner verticalwall2la, of the associated rocker beam. As described in connection with the bearing 5|, pre ferably the bearing 59 is carried by a cover plate 60 which closes an opening 6| through the wall of the'rocker'beam, the cover plate being held in place by cap screws 62. Obviously, upon removal of the hub cap 38, the axle 5! may be drawn outwardly. The outer end of axle 51 is supported through cap 38 and hub 33 on .the bearings '34.

For access to the drive chains and to the sprockets 56, each rocker beam is preferably pro vided at each end with an elongated opening 22 V through the top wall of the rocker beam. These openings are large enough to pass the sprockets 56. Each of these openings is closed by a removable cover plate 2'3. a

My improved construction results in a great concentration of the weight of the tractor and trailer upon the four drive wheels 'It also permits rapid movement over relatively rough ground because the two wheels H at each side of the tractor adjust themselves to uneven ground, independently of the wheels on the opposite side, by the rocking of the associated beam 2| upon its central trunnion. At the sametime the wheel driving means is not subjected to the shocks usually associated with driving over rough ground stresses connected with thevehicle drive only.

What I claim is:

1. In wheeled vehicle construction wherein a rigid axle housing hasa drum which oscillatably supports a rocker housing at an intermediate portion of the latter and wheels arecarried at opposite ends of said rocker housing, means for mounting said rocker housing on its associated drum comprising a bearing sleeve rigid with said rocker housing and surrounding and radially spaced from said drum, a bearin ring between said bearing sleeve and said drum and substantially fixed against movement axially of said sleeve, and a thrust collar engaging said ring and substantially fixed against movement axially of said drum.

2. In wheeled vehicle construction wherein a rigid axle housing has a drum which oscillatably supports a, rocker housing at an intermediate portion of the latter and wheels are carried at opposite ends of said rocker housing, and wherein a floating axle shaft in said axle housing extends into said rocker housing and there supports a wheel driving member, there being an opening through the outer wall of said rocker housing axially alined with said axle shaft, the combination of a removable plate closing said opening,

and a bearing for said axle shaft mounted on said plate, said bearing providing the sole support for the outer end of said axle shaft.

RAYMOND Q. ARMING'ION.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,608,069 Lacey et a1 Nov. 23, 1926 1,902,712 Leipert n Mar. 21, 1933 1,741,425 Masury Dec. 31, 1929 1,627,225 Babel et al. May 3, 1927 2,082,826 Frisby June 8, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 440,800 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1935 

